Memorial To 35W Bridge Victims Starts Taking Shape

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The memorial to victims of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse is starting to take shape at a Minneapolis park along the Mississippi River.

Mayor R.T. Rybak and the architect of the so-called Remembrance Garden planned to showcase the construction Thursday. Crews began digging on the site a few days ago.

The memorial will consist of a plaza with 13 beams - one representing each person killed when the bridge crumbled during an August rush hour in 2007. Views of the new bridge will be visible from a river bluff overlook.

The memorial was first announced in 2008 and got a major boost last summer when a legal settlement tied to the collapse included $1.5 million toward the project.

The goal is to dedicate the memorial during the Aug. 1 anniversary.

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